📸 What is an EBS Snapshot?
📸 What is an EBS Snapshot?
An EBS Snapshot is a point-in-time backup of an Amazon EBS volume, stored in Amazon S3 (though not directly accessible like regular S3 objects).
✅ Snapshots are incremental — only the blocks that changed since the last snapshot are saved, reducing storage costs.
📦 Key Features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Backup mechanism | Creates a backup of EBS volume (can be used to restore or clone) |
| Incremental | After the first full snapshot, only changed data is saved |
| Cross-region copy | Snapshots can be copied across AWS regions |
| Volume restoration | Can create new EBS volumes from any snapshot |
| Automation | Supports scheduled snapshots using Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) |
| Encryption | Supports both encrypted and unencrypted snapshots |
🔁 How Snapshots Work
- You take a snapshot of an EBS volume (e.g., a disk attached to EC2).
- AWS saves a copy of all the data blocks (first time) or only changed blocks (subsequent).
- You can use the snapshot to:
- Restore the volume
- Create new volumes
- Copy to other regions
- Share with other AWS accounts
🧪 Creating a Snapshot (via AWS Console or CLI)
🖥️ AWS CLI:
🔄 Restore from Snapshot
You can create a new volume from a snapshot:
📉 Cost Optimization
- Snapshots are incremental, but you pay for total storage used
- You can delete old snapshots manually or via Data Lifecycle Manager
- Use EBS Snapshot Archive for long-term storage at lower cost
🔐 Security
- Encrypt at rest using AWS KMS
- You can share snapshots with other AWS accounts (only unencrypted ones by default)
✅ Summary
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Backup Type | Incremental block-level |
| Storage Location | Amazon S3 (managed, not visible) |
| Restore Support | Yes – new EBS volume |
| Cross-region copy | ✅ Yes |
| Automation | ✅ With Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) |
| Security | ✅ Encryption & access control |